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Intro to Orthodoxy - Lecture 2 by Fr. John Brown — Transcript

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0:01hello this is father john brown again
0:03from holy transfiguration greek orthodox
0:06church and we are continuing our series
0:08called intro to orthodoxy this is the
0:11second of our classes
0:12and in this class we will continue to
0:14look at the historical basis of
0:15orthodoxy
0:16in the early church so let's go ahead
0:18and get started
0:22now that we have seen that there is a
0:23very extensive record of the writings of
0:25the early church fathers from the first
0:27four centuries of christianity
0:29we can see what they said about central
0:31topics
0:35all the early church fathers believed in
0:37monotheism that there is only
0:39one god this came directly from our
0:41spiritual ancestor
0:43judaism the unity of god was revealed in
0:46the old testament
0:47and is reaffirmed in the new testament
0:49but beginning with christ
0:51god reveals that he is one in essence
0:53but three in persons
0:56this we can see this this is one of
0:58several
0:59more verses which point to the
1:02three-ness of
1:03god balance with the unity of god
1:06our lord says in matthew 28 go therefore
1:09and make disciples of all nations
1:11baptizing them in the name of the father
1:13and of the son and of the holy spirit
1:15in second corinthians the apostle paul
1:17writes the grace of the lord jesus
1:19christ
1:20and the love of god and the communion of
1:22the holy spirit be with you all
1:24according to the knowledge of poor
1:27knowledge of god the father
1:28in sanctification of the spirit for
1:31obedience and sprinkling
1:32of the blood of jesus christ so on all
1:35these and other verses like it we see
1:36this balance
1:38that begins with monotheism as revealed
1:40to judaism
1:41but now it is beginning to be revealed
1:43that god is one in essence but yet three
1:45in persons father son and holy spirit
1:50and this was picked up very quickly by
1:52the early church fathers this
1:54oneness yet three-ness of the holy
1:57trinity
1:58clement of rome the earliest of the
2:01apostolic fathers says
2:03do we not have one god and one christ is
2:06there not
2:06one spirit of grace poured out upon us
2:09so you see
2:10god as father christ and spirit
2:12mentioned by clement of rome
2:14in the first century probably while the
2:16apostle john was still alive
2:19justin martyr also says the most true
2:22god
2:22is the father of righteousness we
2:24worship and adore him
2:25the son who came forth from him and
2:28taught us these things
2:29along with the host of the other good
2:31angels who follow
2:32and are made like him and the prophetic
2:34spirit irenaeus writes of the trinity
2:38it is the father who anoints it is the
2:40son who is anointed
2:42by the spirit and the spirit is the
2:44unction
2:46this continues with irenaeus
2:50it is after the image and likeness of
2:52the uncouriered uncreated god
2:54the father planning everything well and
2:56giving his commands
2:58the son carrying these into execution
3:01and performing the work of creating and
3:03the spirit nourishing
3:04and increasing clement of alexandria
3:07in the first four centuries writes of
3:09what
3:11we call today and have called since the
3:13third century the holy trinity
3:16the universe universal father is one the
3:19universal word
3:21is one and the holy spirit is one
3:24clement of alexandria writes it is
3:27protected by the power of god the father
3:29and the blood of god the son
3:31and the dew of the holy spirit
3:34then we have tertullian for the very
3:37church itself
3:38is properly and principally the spirit
3:41himself
3:42and whom is the trinity of the one
3:43divinity father son and holy spirit
3:46by the way it was tertullian that first
3:48coined the term
3:49trinity this has been used ever since
3:53tritalian writes elsewhere we believe
3:56that there is only one god
3:57but under the following dispensation or
3:59economy and for
4:00those of you interested in the greek
4:01language that work economy is economia
4:04as it is called we believe that this one
4:08only god also has a son his word who
4:11proceeded from himself
4:12by whom all things were made and without
4:14whom nothing was made
4:16him we believe to have been sent by the
4:18father into the virgin
4:20and to have been born of her being both
4:22man and god
4:23the son of man and the son of god and
4:25the son also sent from heaven from the
4:27father
4:28according to his own promise the holy
4:30spirit the paraclete which is
4:32another greek word which is comforter
4:34the sanctifier
4:36of the faith of those who believe in the
4:38father the son and the holy spirit
4:40you see very clearly and very early on
4:43starting with the teaching of the
4:44fathers and continued with
4:46the apostles and continuing with the
4:48first fourth century fathers of the
4:50church
4:50the awareness of the unity of god and
4:52the multiple
4:54well three persons within that one
4:56godhead was clearly understood and
4:58clearly taught
5:00tertullian continues he commands them to
5:03baptize
5:03into the father the son and the holy
5:05spirit not into the father
5:07the son and the holy spirit not in not
5:09not into a universal
5:11universe unipersonal god but a
5:13multi-personal god
5:15father son and holy spirit is the father
5:18who generates an uncreated son
5:20and brings forth a holy spirit not as if
5:22he had
5:23no previous existence but because the
5:26father is the origin
5:27and the son of the source of the son or
5:29holy spirit that's origin
5:31the savior and the holy spirit were sent
5:33by the father for the salvation of men
5:36that's from origin
5:39go therefore and teach all nations
5:41baptizing them in the name of the father
5:43and of the son and of the holy spirit
5:45he suggests the trinity in whose
5:47sacrament the nations are to be baptized
5:50cyprian writes the lord says i and the
5:53father are one
5:55and again it is written of the father
5:57the son and the holy spirit
5:58and these three are one
6:02so the beginnings of the doctrine of the
6:05trinity and really all
6:07had very little to say after the fourth
6:09century to develop that idea but that
6:11idea of the unity of god yet the three
6:14the three persons of the godhead were
6:16all very already
6:18there and being refined over the first
6:21three or four centuries
6:22now what did the early fathers say about
6:25the incarnation
6:26incarnation is a latin word which means
6:28in the flesh
6:30this is the foundational christian
6:32belief that god specifically
6:34the second person of the holy trinity
6:37became a human in jesus christ this is
6:40absolutely essential to the christian
6:42faith
6:42and is a major focus of all orthodox
6:45theology
6:46the term incarnation is not to be
6:48confused with the term reincarnation
6:51which means a human soul coming back to
6:53life over and over
6:54again in different bodies so don't get
6:56those too confused they're very
6:58different
7:00the incarnation that of god becoming man
7:04is taught first in the new testament our
7:06lord says in john chapter
7:09john says in john chapter 1 in the
7:12beginning was the word and the word was
7:14with god and the word
7:15was god he was in the beginning with god
7:18the word became flesh and dwelt among us
7:21and we beheld his glory
7:22the glory as of the only begotten of the
7:24father
7:27the apostle paul writes in the book of
7:29galatians when the fullness of time had
7:31come
7:32god sent forth his son born of a woman
7:35under the law
7:36so the entrance of the divinity into
7:38humanity through the womb
7:40of the woman the theotokos is described
7:44here by
7:45paul also continues in first timothy the
7:49apostle paul writes
7:50god was manifest in the flesh god has
7:53become incarnated has become
7:55entered fully into human body assumed a
7:57human
7:58soul and participated in the fullness of
8:00human existence
8:03the early church fathers also taught
8:05that in jesus christ
8:06god has become fully human yet remained
8:08fully divine
8:10ignatius writes there is one physician
8:14who is possessed both of flesh and
8:16spirit he is both man
8:18excuse me both made and not made he is
8:20god
8:21existing in flesh true life in death
8:24he is both of mary and of god ignatius
8:28writes
8:29he was truly of the seed of david
8:31according to the flesh
8:32and the son of god according to the will
8:35and power of god
8:36he was truly born of a virgin this is
8:39according to saint ignatius
8:41justin martyr writes the first begotten
8:45of all creation would become incarnate
8:47by the virgin's womb and be a child this
8:50was taught by justin martyr
8:53grenaeus writes christ jesus the son of
8:56god
8:57because of his surpassing love towards
8:59creation humbled himself to be born of
9:01the virgin
9:02he himself united man to god through
9:04himself
9:06irenaeus also writes elsewhere he took
9:09up man
9:09into himself thereby the invisible
9:12became invisible
9:13the incomprehensible was made
9:16comprehensible
9:17the impassable became capable of
9:19suffering
9:20so the word was made man and thereby
9:23summed up all things in himself
9:26clement of alexandria from the first
9:28four centuries
9:29of the church writes the son of god he
9:32who made the universe
9:34assumed flesh and was conceived in the
9:36virgin's
9:37womb it continues this
9:41constant understanding and reaffirmation
9:44of the
9:44uniquely christian doctrine of
9:46incarnation of god becoming human
9:50is continues here clement of alexandria
9:54writes
9:54the loving lord has become man for us
9:57tertullian writes
9:59this ray of god then is that his as
10:02it was always foretold in ancient times
10:05descended into a certain virgin and made
10:07flesh in her womb
10:09he is in his birth god and man united
10:13tertullian also writes he who remitted
10:16sins was both god
10:17and a man origin
10:20says of the incarnation after he had
10:23been the minister of the father in the
10:25creation of all things
10:27for by him all things were made he in
10:30the last times divested himself
10:32and became a man and was incarnate
10:34through although he was still god
10:36while he was made a man he remained the
10:39god that he was
10:40he assumed a body like our own differing
10:43in only one respect
10:45that the body was born of a virgin and
10:47of the holy spirit
10:48this jesus christ was truly born truly
10:51suffered
10:52and truly died origin continues
10:57after the consideration of questions of
10:59such importance concerning the being
11:01of the son of god we are lost in the
11:04deepest amazement
11:05that such a nature preeminent above all
11:08others
11:08would have divested itself of its
11:10condition of majesty
11:12and would have become man cyprian writes
11:16although from the beginning he had been
11:18the son of god
11:19yet he had to be begotten again
11:21according to the flesh
11:22in the second psalm he's quoting the
11:25psalms now
11:26the lord said unto me you are my son
11:28this day i have begotten you
11:30ask me and i will give you the nations
11:32for your inheritance
11:34sabrine continues elsewhere christ is
11:36both man and god and compounded of both
11:39natures
11:40so that he could be a mediator between
11:42us and the father
11:43in jeremiah he's quoting now jeremiah
11:46says being quoted by cyprian
11:48and he is man and will who will know him
11:52also in numbers a star will arise out of
11:55jacob and the man
11:56will rise up from israel
12:00saint athanasius writes
12:04this proves that while to all the others
12:06the word came
12:08in order that they might prophesy from
12:10mary the word himself took flesh
12:12and proceeded forth as man being by
12:15nature
12:15and essence the word of god but after
12:18the flesh
12:19man of the seed of david and made of the
12:21flesh of mary
12:23as paul said him the father pointed out
12:26both in jordan and in the mount saying
12:29this
12:29is my beloved son in whom i am well
12:31pleased
12:33athanasius writes elsewhere god became
12:36man so that man
12:38might become divine by the way that
12:40doesn't mean that we all become
12:42gods but we we are as the as peter
12:45writes in his epistle we are filled
12:47we have the potential the capacity to be
12:49filled with the fullness of god that our
12:51cups will be full of him
12:53not that we become multiple gods so like
12:56that's
12:56that's what athanasios meant by that
13:00gregory nazianzen writes this way that
13:03which was not
13:04assumed cannot be healed in other words
13:07the incarnation of god was
13:08absolutely necessary because it was if
13:11there was any part of humanity
13:12that was not taken and assumed and put
13:15on by christ then whatever that was that
13:17was not put on by christ
13:19could not be healed by christ's death
13:21and resurrection
13:24the early church fathers all believe
13:26without exception
13:28in the virgin birth of christ it was
13:30taught both in the old and the new
13:32testaments
13:34isaiah says in the famous chapter we
13:36often hear around christmas time in
13:38isaiah 7 14
13:40therefore the lord himself will give you
13:42a sign
13:43behold the virgin shall conceive and
13:45bear a son and shall call his name
13:48emmanuel by the way that word virgin is
13:51in the septuagint
13:52translation of the old testament which
13:54was before christ
13:56the translation of this of the entire
13:59old testament
14:00from its original hebrew into greek so
14:02the greek speaking
14:04jews around the world could read it it
14:06used the specific greek word for
14:08virgin that was actually a little
14:10different than
14:11the word that was in the in the hebrew
14:13original which was
14:14young woman so this is part of why the
14:18church ever since
14:19based on this very careful and
14:22interesting and subtle
14:24translation of the word virgin is has
14:27been
14:28which was done before christ the
14:30orthodox see this as
14:31more or less a prophecy by translation
14:34that the virgin mary who would someday
14:36give birth to christ would be
14:38a virgin and not just simply a young
14:40girl
14:41matthew foretells of the virgin birth of
14:44christ
14:45explains and recounts the verse virgin
14:47birth of christ
14:49now the birth of jesus christ was as
14:51follows after his mother mary
14:53was betrothed to joseph before they came
14:56together
14:56she was found with child of the holy
14:58spirit so she was
15:00with child before and before any
15:03physical relationship with joseph or
15:06anyone else
15:07and so that's also part of the biblical
15:09teaching of the virgin birth
15:12luke says this then mary said to the
15:16angel
15:16how can this be since i do not know a
15:18man
15:19and the angel answered and said to her
15:22the holy spirit will come upon you
15:23and the power of the highest will
15:25overshadow you therefore
15:27also that holy one who is to be born
15:30will be called
15:30the son of god so mary was warned and
15:33well
15:34warned and told in uh to by this the the
15:37angel
15:38that she would be conceived and give
15:41birth but without any
15:42human connection whatsoever and that
15:44this would be accomplished by the holy
15:46spirit
15:48so the early church fathers continued
15:50this central teaching of the apostles
15:52immediately before them
15:54ignatius says he was truly born of a
15:56virgin
15:57justin martyr says we even affirm that
15:59he was born of a virgin
16:01justin martyr says elsewhere here again
16:04how isaiah in express words foretold
16:06that he would be born
16:08of a virgin irenaeus writes christ jesus
16:12the son of god
16:13because of his surpassing love towards
16:16his creation
16:17humbled himself to be born of the virgin
16:20therefore he united man
16:22through himself to god
16:25ernest also writes he declared that the
16:28word would become flesh
16:29he declared that the son of god would
16:31become the son of man
16:32for the pure one opened pure purely that
16:35pure womb
16:36that regenerates man unto god for he
16:39himself
16:40made it pure clement of alexandria
16:43writes
16:44the son of god who made the universe
16:46assumed flesh and was conceived in the
16:48virgin's womb
16:50tertullian wrote this ray of god
16:53that is always foretold in ancient times
16:56descended
16:56into a certain virgin and he was made
16:59flesh in her womb
17:00so in his birth god and man were united
17:05tertalian also writes whoever wishes to
17:07see jesus
17:08the son of david must believe in him
17:11through the virgin's birth
17:13he who will not believe this will not
17:15hear from him the commendation
17:17your faith has saved you origen
17:20writes a sign has been given to the
17:24house of david
17:25for the virgin conceived was pregnant
17:27and brought forth
17:28a son origin writes elsewhere
17:32he has made these remarks because he did
17:34not know the pure and virgin birth of
17:37that body that was to minister
17:39to the salvation of men unaccompanied by
17:41any corruption
17:45what did the early church fathers say
17:47about the resurrection of christ
17:50there's of all the central doctrines of
17:53christianity this is
17:54possibly the it's definitely the first
17:57and
17:58they're all important you don't want to
18:00really rank them but yet
18:01the resurrection of christ was certainly
18:03the beginning point
18:04of the establishment of christianity at
18:07the empty tomb
18:08the angels told the three women who came
18:11to the anoint the body of jesus
18:13he is not here he is risen this has been
18:16the heart of the good news
18:17preached ever since in all orthodox
18:20pasca that is what we call
18:22easter all orthodox easter services we
18:24continue
18:25to cry out these same words christ is
18:28risen
18:28truly he has risen belief in the
18:31resurrection of christ is absolutely
18:33essential and central
18:34to our faith the apostle paul
18:37wrote of the importance of the
18:39resurrection
18:40paul writes in first corinthians 15
18:44for i delivered to you first of all that
18:47which i also received
18:48that christ died for our sins according
18:50to the scriptures
18:51and that he was buried and that he rose
18:53again the third day according to the
18:55scriptures
18:56now if christ is preached that he he has
18:59been raised from the
19:00dead how do some of you say that there
19:03is no resurrection of the dead
19:05but if there is no resurrection of the
19:07dead then christ has not risen
19:09and if christ is not risen then our
19:11preaching is empty and your faith is
19:13also
19:14empty and if christ has not risen your
19:17faith is futile
19:19you are still in your sins then also
19:21those who have fallen asleep in christ
19:23have perished
19:24if in this life only we have hope in
19:27christ
19:28we of are are of all men most
19:31pitiable without exception the early
19:35church fathers
19:36proclaimed christ as risen
19:40clement of rome wrote god has made the
19:43lord jesus christ the first fruits by
19:45raising him from the dead
19:47ignatius says for i know that after his
19:50resurrection also
19:51he was still possessed of flesh and i
19:54believe that he is so now
19:56justin martyr the remainder of this
19:58psalm which makes it clear that christ
20:01knew his father would grant him all
20:02things that he asked and that his father
20:05would raise him from the dead
20:07now many earth non-orthodox christians
20:10can read these
20:11writings of the early church fathers and
20:13can applaud them
20:14they can applaud the early church
20:16fathers for
20:18affirming these essential tenets of the
20:20christian faith
20:22trinity incarnation virgin birth
20:25resurrection many non-orthodox
20:29christians
20:29see the presence of the holy spirit and
20:32since the preservation of the pure
20:34gospel and these writings however many
20:37non-orthodox christians who know little
20:39about orthodoxy
20:40might be surprised to learn that the
20:42orthodox passionately believe in all
20:44these things
20:45and have for two thousand years
20:49however many non-orthodox christians
20:52will also be surprised to learn that
20:54some of the other
20:54of some of the other things that the
20:56early church fathers believed
20:58taught and practiced that this is
21:00because
21:02some of the beliefs teachings and
21:03practices of the early church fathers
21:05are completely at odds with traditional
21:08protestant beliefs
21:09teachings and practices but are
21:11completely completely
21:13aligned with orthodox beliefs and
21:15practices
21:17what did the early church fathers say
21:19about church government
21:22the early church was governed by the
21:23apostles who appointed
21:25bishops who ordained presbyters which is
21:28greek for elder
21:29and later become called became called
21:31priests
21:32to lead christian communities once the
21:35apostles were gone
21:36bishops gathered to appoint other
21:38bishops
21:39the historical records demonstrate that
21:42the early church government was
21:43hierarchical
21:44not congregational leaders were
21:47appointed by senior leaders
21:49not elected by the congregation and to
21:51be a bishop
21:52wanda had a one to had to have or be had
21:55to have a provable chain of succession
21:58going back to the apostles once couldn't
22:00just say well i'm a bishop
22:03and for you to be a bishop you had to be
22:06consecrated to that office by other
22:07bishops
22:08and all of those bishops had to have a
22:10demonstrable
22:12chain of succession going all back all
22:13the way back to one of the apostles
22:16the bishops and presbyters truly
22:18governed the church
22:20their authority was based on their
22:21connection to the apostles
22:23through what became known as apostolic
22:25succession
22:27because they followed in the footsteps
22:29of the apostles this was the assurance
22:31that they were teaching and preaching
22:34what the apostles taught
22:35and preached the bible
22:38the people were accountable to the
22:40presbyters and the presbyters were
22:43accountable to the bishops
22:44and the bishops were accountable to
22:46other bishops
22:48there was only one church and not a
22:50series of denominations
22:52anyone who tried to start their own
22:53church was branded as a heretic
22:56and cast out of the church
22:59evidence of the church government that
23:01the
23:02church government was hierarchical and
23:04not congregate
23:05not congregational is seen in the
23:07epistles
23:08the apostle paul founded many christian
23:10communities and clearly governed them
23:13either in person or by letter
23:15with all authority for example in his
23:17epistle to the corinthians
23:19paul roundly scolded that church for
23:21their misbehavior
23:22he certainly did not fear the wayward
23:24christian church voting him out of
23:26office
23:27and voting in a new apostle to lead them
23:29in the way that they wanted
23:31he commanded them he commanded candid
23:34commanded them
23:35many places including here now those
23:38are who are such we command and exhort
23:42through our lord jesus christ
23:43that they work in quietness and eat
23:46their own bread
23:47and many times when the apostle paul
23:48would just give orders he would just say
23:50this is what you will do this is what
23:51you must do this is what
23:52i am instructing you to do it was not a
23:55democracy
23:56as a the early church of the apostles
23:58were not subject to vote or recalled by
24:00a popular vote they were
24:01put given their offices by christ and
24:04that could not be taken from them
24:05at all the new testament also
24:09shows saint paul appointed peter and i
24:11could
24:12just as well or better say ordained
24:14timothy
24:15to govern in his absence
24:18for this reason i left you in crete that
24:21you should set in order the things that
24:23are lacking
24:23and appoint elders in every city as i
24:26commanded you
24:27and so we see paul the apostle ordained
24:30and consecrated timothy
24:32to be uh the bishop of crete so when
24:36paul left timothy was the bishop and
24:38part of the ministry of bishops
24:40is that they set everything in order and
24:42that they are the ones and only the
24:43bishops can appoint an ordained elders
24:46as we call today priests and every in
24:49the orthodox church that was the that
24:51was the leadership structure
24:52of the church paul commanded the
24:55churches under his care
24:57and commanded timothy to do the same
25:02this is the hierarchical form of church
25:05government
25:06established by the apostles and it was
25:08universal in the early church
25:10you see clement of rome the first or the
25:13oldest
25:14of all the apostolic fathers wrote
25:18through our lord jesus christ our
25:20apostles knew that there would be strife
25:22over the office of oversight
25:23and episcopacy which comes from the
25:25greek word overseer which is
25:27translated into english nowadays bishop
25:30accordingly since they had obtained a
25:33perfect foreknowledge of this
25:35they appointed those men already
25:37mentioned
25:38and they afterwards gave instructions
25:40that when those men would fall asleep
25:42other approved men should succeed them
25:45in their ministry
25:46therefore we are of the opinion that
25:48those appointed by the apostles
25:50or afterwards by other acclaimed men
25:53with the consent of the whole church
25:54and who have blamelessly served the
25:56flock of christ in a humble peace
25:58peaceable and disinterested spirit and
26:01have for a long time possessed the good
26:03opinion of all
26:04cannot justly be dismissed from the
26:06ministry
26:07so this is a the earliest
26:12post-apostolic record that we have and
26:14is clearly
26:15teaching and describing this
26:17hierarchical form of church government
26:20ignatius writes ignatius was very
26:24adamant about this particular doctrine
26:26and he came along right after
26:29after clement of rome did so
26:32ignatius writes the following
26:35wherever the bishop appears there let
26:38the people be
26:39even as wheresoever christ is jesus
26:42christ jesus
26:43is there is the catholic which in
26:46catholics which means universal there is
26:49the universal or catholic church you
26:52must follow
26:53the you must all follow the lead of the
26:55bishop as
26:56jesus christ followed that of the father
26:59follow the presbytery as you would the
27:01apostles
27:02reverence the deacons as you would god's
27:04commandment
27:06ignis ignatius elsewhere writes be
27:09obedient to the bishop
27:10and to one another as jesus christ was
27:13in the flesh to the father and the
27:15apostles to christ
27:17and to the father and to the spirit so
27:19that there may be unity in flesh
27:21and in spirit irenaeus wrote
27:26when we refer them to that tradition
27:29which originates
27:30from the apostles which is preserved by
27:32means of the successions of presbyters
27:35in the churches they object traded
27:37tradition
27:38saying that they themselves are wiser
27:40not merely than the presbyters
27:42but even the apostles so even in
27:44irenaeus's day
27:46there were people who wanted to go out
27:48and start their own church and set up
27:49their own bishops and set up their own
27:51presbyters
27:52and uh but irenaeus was saying that so
27:55that was in existence even in these
27:56early days
27:57but yet people who did so separated
27:59themselves from the one church
28:02and they were on their own irenaeus
28:04continues
28:06in this order and by this succession the
28:08ecclesiastical tradition from the
28:10apostles
28:11and the preaching of the truth have come
28:13down to us and this is the most abundant
28:15proof
28:16that there is one and this same
28:19life-giving faith
28:20which has been preserved in the church
28:22from the apostles until now
28:24until now and handed down in truth
28:28tertullian wrote of which describes
28:32the hierarchical form of early church
28:35government
28:37let them which he was referring to the
28:39heretics
28:40produce the original records of their
28:42churches
28:43let them unfold the role of their
28:45bishops running down
28:46in due succession from the beginning in
28:49such a manner
28:50that the first bishop of theirs can show
28:52he ordained him
28:53and the president predecessor one of the
28:55apostles
28:56or apostolic men a man a man moreover
28:59who continued steadfast with the
29:01apostles
29:02for this is the manner in which the
29:04apostolic churches transmit their
29:06registers
29:07for example the church of smyrna records
29:09that polycarp was replaced there by john
29:12likewise the church of rome demonstrates
29:14that clement to have been ordained in
29:16light manner by peter
29:18in exactly the same way the other
29:20churches similarly exhibit their list of
29:22bishops
29:23whom as having been appointed to their
29:26episcopal places by apostles
29:28they regard as transmitters of the
29:30apostolic
29:31seed this is this is certainly in
29:34describing
29:35that apostolic session we're looking at
29:38origin rights we cling to the standard
29:40of the heavenly church of jesus christ
29:43according to the succession of the
29:45apostles
29:47sip cyprian writes he cannot be
29:50reckoned as a bishop who succeeds no one
29:53for he has despised the evangelical and
29:55apostolic tradition
29:57springing from himself for he who has
29:59not been ordained in the church
30:01can neither have nor hold to the church
30:04in any way
30:05how can he be esteemed as a pastor who
30:08succeeds to no one
30:09but begins from himself for the true
30:12shepherd remains and presides over the
30:14church of god
30:15by successful successive ordination
30:18therefore the other one
30:19becomes a stranger and a profane person
30:22and an enemy
30:22of the lord's peace
30:25what did the early church fathers say
30:27about baptism
30:30christ associated physical baptism water
30:32baptism
30:34with the forgiveness of sins and the
30:36beginning of salvation
30:38in theology this is called baptismal
30:40regeneration
30:43it's referred to in john chapter 3 just
30:46a few verses before
30:48the universally beloved verse john 3 16
30:51for god so loved the world that he gave
30:52his only begotten son
30:54this was 11 verses before that verse
30:57where jesus says to nicodemus jesus
31:01answered most assuredly i say to you
31:03unless one is born of water
31:05and the spirit he cannot enter the
31:07kingdom o god
31:10at pentecost peter associated baptism
31:14water baptism physical baptism with the
31:16forgiveness of sins
31:18we read in the book of acts which
31:20describes the events
31:22of pentecost now when they heard this
31:26they were cut to the heart and said to
31:28peter and the rest of the apostles
31:30men and brethren what shall we do then
31:33peter said to them
31:34repent and let every one of you be
31:36baptized in the name of jesus christ for
31:39the remission of sins
31:40and you shall receive the gift of the
31:42holy spirit for the promise is to you
31:44and to your children
31:45and to all who are far off as many as
31:48the lord our god
31:49will call so baptism
31:52was one of the when they asked peter
31:55how are we saved what should we do to be
31:57saved baptism was
31:59one of the four things that that was the
32:01answer to that question what shall we do
32:04that included water baptism
32:07when ananias baptized paul he associated
32:10baptism
32:11also with the forgiveness of sins and
32:14ananias
32:15received the received paul
32:18who would just come from the damascus
32:21road
32:22and had seen miraculously the risen
32:24christ
32:25and told ananias what had happened
32:28ananias told
32:29to paul arise and be baptized and wash
32:32away your sins
32:33calling on the name of the lord so that
32:36was one of the very first things
32:37that ananias did for paul is to have him
32:40baptized
32:42and so that's been the case ever since
32:44within the orthodox church
32:46peter associated baptism with the
32:48forgiveness of sins
32:50peter writes in first peter chapter
32:52three is
32:53his as a first epistle there is also an
32:57antitype which now saves us
32:59namely baptism not the removal
33:02of the filth of the flesh but the answer
33:04of a good conscience
33:05towards god paul associated baptism
33:10with the forgiveness of sins he writes
33:13in galatians 3
33:14for as many of you as were baptized into
33:17christ
33:18have put on christ he writes in titus 3
33:215.
33:22according to his mercy he saved us
33:24through the washing of regeneration
33:26and the renewing of the holy spirit that
33:28washing of water
33:30as is associated with water baptism it
33:32is
33:33in a sense of a washing much like a has
33:35some aspects of a bath to remove
33:37whatever
33:38dirt is upon us in the book of hebrews
33:41it says let us draw near with a pure
33:44with a true heart
33:45and full assurance of faith having our
33:47hearts sprinkled from an
33:48evil conscience and our bodies washed
33:51with pure
33:52water so that's that's part of the
33:55the normal process of coming into the
33:58church
33:58is water baptism the early church
34:01fathers maintained
34:02what the apostles had taught them justin
34:05martyr
34:06this washing of repentance and knowledge
34:09of god has been ordained
34:11on account of the transgression of god's
34:13people as isaiah cries
34:16accordingly we have believed and testify
34:18that the very baptism
34:20which he announced is alone able to
34:22purify those
34:23who have repented and this is the water
34:25of life
34:26for what is the use of that baptism
34:28which cleanses only the flesh and body
34:31baptize the soul from wrath and from
34:33covetousness
34:34from envy and from hatred he writes
34:37elsewhere
34:38but there is no other way than this to
34:41become acquainted with his
34:42this christ to be washed in the
34:44fountains spoken of by isaiah
34:46for the remission of sins and for the
34:49rest to live
34:50sinless lives
34:53irenaeus writes when do we bear
34:57the image of the heavenly doubtless when
35:00he says
35:00you have been washed believing in the
35:02name of the lord and
35:03receiving his spirit irenaeus writes
35:07elsewhere
35:08for as we are lepers in sin we are made
35:11clean from our old transgressions
35:13by means of the sacred water and the
35:15invocation
35:16of the lord we are spiritually
35:18regenerated as newborn babes
35:20just as the lord has declared unless a
35:23man is born again through water and the
35:25spirit
35:26he will not enter into the kingdom of
35:28heaven is of course
35:30a quotation from john chapter 3 which we
35:32just saw a few minutes ago
35:36clement of alexandria writes thus also
35:40we who are baptized having wiped off the
35:42sins that obscure the light of the
35:44divine spirit
35:45have the eye of the spirit free
35:47unimpeded and full of light
35:49by which alone we contemplate the divine
35:52the holy spirit flowing down to us from
35:55above
35:56clement also says this we are washed
35:59from all our sins
36:00and no longer entangled in evil this
36:04is the one grace of illumination that
36:06our characters
36:07are not the same as before our washing
36:10that was if we understand this to be a
36:11very physical
36:12physical literal washing in baptism
36:17tertullian writes unless a man has been
36:19born again
36:20of water and the spirit he will not
36:22enter into the kingdom of the heavens
36:25these words have tied faith to the
36:27necessity of baptism
36:28according accordingly all thereafter who
36:32became believers
36:33were baptized so it was too that paul
36:35when he believed
36:36believed was baptized he writes
36:39elsewhere
36:40unless a man is born of water and of the
36:42spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom
36:44of god
36:45in other words he cannot be holy every
36:48soul
36:49then by reason of its birth has its
36:51nature in adam until it is born again
36:54in christ moreover it is unclean all the
36:57time that it remains
36:58without this regeneration and because it
37:01is unclean
37:02it is actively sinful
37:05cyprian writes one is not borne by the
37:08imposition of hands
37:09when he receives the holy spirit rather
37:12it is in baptism
37:13thereafter being already born he may
37:15receive the holy spirit
37:18cyprian also writes in the baptism of
37:21water
37:22there is received the remission of sins
37:25clearly the earliest christians believed
37:27that baptism was not a symbol
37:29but a means of grace they believed that
37:31our sins are forgiven by being immersed
37:34in water
37:35and the invocation of the holy trinity
37:37they did not believe that our sins are
37:39forgiven
37:40forgiven by faith alone
37:43so this concludes today's class thank
37:45you for joining me
37:46we will have another session being
37:49posted in
37:50roughly a week and so please
37:53join us anytime you can if you have any
37:55concerns
37:56or comments to make please send it to
37:59that
38:00email address you see there and i'll
38:03usually i can respond to them so
38:07i have a blessed day may the lord god
38:08bless you and we look forward to seeing
38:10you
38:11next time

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